Seeds of Change in Ethiopia

Three years ago, Mihretie from South Gondar in Ethiopia couldn’t feed his family with the income from his small-scale farm. But today, he says he is the wealthiest person in his community and is proud to send one of his kids to university.

Planting the seed

When we first met Mihretie, he was already growing potatoes, along with pulses and cereals, but his production was very low and his family of six lived hand to mouth.

Poor quality potato seed was a major issue for Mihretie as well as his neighbouring farmers. In a pilot project implemented with Vita Ethiopia, Mihretie learned how to produce and store high quality Irish potato seed, manage diseases and pests, and work with a farmers’ co-operative to get the best results at market.

The season for success

Since then, Mihretie has improved his potato harvest from 30-40 quintals per hectare to 160-240 quintals per hectare. He has also earned over $7,000 from selling his potatoes at local markets.

With his increased income, Mihretie bought two oxen to help plow his land. His family can now afford to buy more foods with greater nutritional diversity, including teff, fava beans and milk.

Mihretie also provides ‘clean seed’ to neighbouring farmers, helping them improve their crops and income too.

Donate now to help more small-scale farmers like Mihretie break the poverty cycle.

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